Pumpkin_Man wrote: Witchy, you allways struck me as a very nice person. Mike

Thank you Mike!! I try not to judge people, you never know what they've been through. I caught myself the other day, some poor guy was on the side of the road with a sign, and I told my kids not to pay attention, I regretted it as soon as I said it, you just never know that may be you some day!!

Thanks Witchy. I can understand your frustration. Some times, I think the reason why people tend to ignor those homeless individuals by the side of the road, is because it very well could be them some day. There are more people losing their jobs and homes every day as this stinking recession continues to kill our country's ecconomy.

Chang, I allways LOVED Mercuries, and allways had a special place for them in my heart. My father ahd 2. A 1958 Mercury Communter Wagon, and a 1970 Mercury Monterey sedan hard top convertible. Both were awesome cars. I was really hoping against all hopes that the Monterey would be my car when I turned 16, but it ended up being bought by my older brother, Jack. He drove it until it had over 300,0000 miles on it, and then donted it to the automotive degree program at the Halfway House where he worked. They rebuilt it from the frame up. New engine, new trandmission, new interior, new paint job, the works. And then it was destroyed in a flood. That was truely a tragidy IMHO. As for my Harley, I really love that, too, but though it is my first Harley, it's by no means my first motorcycle. I had an 84 Yamaha Seca 750, then I bought a left over but brand new 1988 Yamaha Venture Royal. That was a great bike. It was totaled when a moron in a Buick rear ended me at a stop light. Then I rode an 82 Yamaha Verago for about a year, and then I bought a Honda Valkyrie. I drove the Valk for 14 years before trading it for the Harley I ride now.

I love my cars to be big, and if I could have afforded it, I would have gone with the Grand Marquis when I bought my Milan. Now thanks to some questionable decisions by Ford executives, there won't be any more Mercuries made.

The Cougar was also a great car. Back in the early 70s, it came with a Murader V8 engine, and for a few extra bucks, you could get dual carbs installed. A friend of my brothers had that, and that car was SMOKIN!

Wich was really too bad, because some Mercuries could really perform. In fact, I watch "Pass Time" on the Speed Channel last night. One of the fastest pass times was done in a 69 Mercury Couger. The engine was modified, but it was never the less, a modified Maureder v8 Mercury engine. The same engine that came with my father's 58 Mercury Comuter Wagon, and his 70 Mercury Monterey. That Monerey also very much looked like a "grandma"s car, but it could go like a bat out of hell. I really loved that car, and I was darn sick when I heard my dad sold it to my older brother 6 months before my 16th birthday. I was really hooping to get that car, but instead I got stuck with a 71 Datsun 1200.

And if you thought the Mercury Couger was too small, just try to shoe horn yourself into a 71 Datsun 1200. A sardine can would be roomier, and my 3 year old grand niece's battery operated Barbie Corvette would leave it in the dust.

Chang, Datsun allways Nissan. Nissan was the "mother" company, and they decided to change the name from Datsun to Nissan in the Summer of 84. IMHO, they improved the brand a lot over the years. I've been very gunshy about buying either a Nissan or a Toyota, because of the aweful experience I had with my Datsun 1200, and because of the frustration I had to put up with when trying to find parts for my 84 Toyota pick up truck. Both are great brands, and both companies make great cars, but I am not a very patient individual, and when the guy at the check out counter says "Sotty I don't have it, you'll have to wait x number of days, weeks, month yadda, yadda, yadda,...." I feel quite jerked around. That was the story with my Toyota Pick up truck back in 84. The first year I had that truck, the heater cable broke. IT was 8 below zero, and I had no heat. Finaly I had to reach under the dash and turn the valve that way. When I took it back to the dealer, it was "sorry we don't have. Sorry the wearhouse doesn't have...Sorry we have to send out to Japan." It took to the following Summer before they finaly got my heater cable, and it was THE WRONG DARN CABLE. So for the rest of the time I owned that Toyote, I turned the heater on by reaching under the dash board. Then about a year later, the blower motor went out. This time it was 98 degrees out side and I had no air conditioning. Again, every auto parts store and my Toyota dealer was "Sorry we don't have. Sorry we have to order. Sorry there aren't any at the wear house." IT took 3 weeks with no air conditioning before I finaly got the blower moter I needed. The straw that broke the camels back, was when the igniter went out. A very simple part. Easy to replace. It wook over a MONTH before anyone could get me the right part. Two weeks wait and they sent me the wrong igniter, and then 3 m ore weeks wait for the correct igniter.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking Toyota cars and trucks. I'm knocking the LOUSY customer service I got from the Toyota Motor Company. I won't ever buy one again, and I'll probably never buy a Nissan either, for the same reason. That Datsun 1200 I had had over 80,000 miles onit. Parts were hard to find, there was allways at least a 5 to 6 day wait involved, and the price was un belieavable.

I currently have 2 Nissan cars a 2007 Nissan Murano SL with 70,000 mile where I never had mechanical repair or problem. I also have 2004 Infiniti G35 with 139,000 mile and that is my primary car with never mechanical repair or problem. Customer service at Infiniti dealership is perfect every time. I go there for sometime oil change and routine maintenances. Cost is high but worth it.